Robbie Sigona’s Produce Tips: Local Asparagus

When choosing a bundle of asparagus, you should look for:

• Locally grown asparagus. Local is better because it’s fresher. Most of the local asparagus we bring into the store is picked, packed and delivered the same day whereas some crops from Mexico can take 3-4 days to arrive.

• Salinas, CA-grown asparagus is the best tasting, sweetest asparagus of the year. This is due to the ideal soil and mild climate.

• Choose asparagus with tight closed tips, green in color all the way down (no white).

• Check the bottom for a fresh cut, not a dry end.

• Asparagus should feel firm, not flimsy and limp, and have a squeak to it when the bunch is given a light squeeze.

• Crops just starting have a very tight bud top vs. the end-of-season Mexico asparagus that at times can get old in the field. It won’t have that sweet, tender taste.

Robbie Sigona is our produce buyer. He works with local farmers and scours the market for the very best in fresh fruits and vegetables — some you won’t find anywhere else.